


Anytime

by AutumnMelancholy



Category: Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons)
Genre: 3 below season 2 has wrecked me, Alternate Universe, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Trollhunter Eli Pepperjack, i had to write something to out my emotions, i may make this a full au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-13
Updated: 2019-07-13
Packaged: 2020-06-27 13:17:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19791667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AutumnMelancholy/pseuds/AutumnMelancholy
Summary: Eli was absolutely exhausted. No, even that was an understatement: Eli was so sore and battered and worn down from his training, he feared that he would pass out while riding his bike home from Trollmarket.





	Anytime

Eli was absolutely exhausted. No, even that was an understatement: Eli was so sore and battered and worn down from his training, he feared that he would pass out while riding his bike home from Trollmarket.  
  
Not that Eli didn't already know that the training he was enduring was necessary to become a proper Trollhunter; he just wasn't used to such lengthy amounts of rigorous exercise. Sure, he could deal with gym class on a regular basis, but that was before he became the sacred protector of both human and trollkind alike and had to lead a double life. Which, of course, led to him severely underestimating his ability to multitask.

Eli's breathes came in heavy puffs, eyes glazed as his head drooped down. His forehead was soaked, salty drops of sweat rolling down his face and onto his lips. His glasses threatened to fall from his nose, having slipped off twice already. His arms trembled and his sore legs were on the verge of giving out with every push of his feet onto the pedals. In other words, he was a wreck. So much for dealing.

As Eli did a turn onto his block and saw his driveway sitting solidly several feet ahead of him, practically glowing with the magnificent colors of the sunset, he couldn't help but sob in relief. He summoned any last ounce of energy he had in him and raced ahead as much as he could, knowing that he would regret it as soon as he had a chance to relax. He skidded up to a halt in front of his house and wasted no time in opening the garage, locking up his bike, and stumbling into the hallway through the garage door.

"Mom," Eli wheezed loudly, head hitting the door as he slid onto the floor. "Home, I'm home"

He took a moment to regain his breath before awaiting her reply. He squeezed his eyes shut, grinning as he mentally celebrated yet another Bular-less day. He exhaled and waited some more before opening an eye.

"...?"

He was met with silence.

"Mom?" Eli grunted with the effort of pushing himself off the floor, swaying in place once he was upright and readjusting his glasses. "Mooooom, are you here?"

He walked through the spotless living room and into the kitchen, where he saw a written note on the fridge's whiteboard with a pinned down 20 dollar bill. He wandered forward and pressed his hands against the door, leaning in to see what it said:

at work, won't be home until tomorrow morning, order dinner, happy friday!

Eli sighed, leaning back and stretching his arms out. "Again?" But he couldn't lie: a box of hot, pepparoni pizza sounded appealing after a grueling day of school and combat training, even if this was the third time this month he's had to order takeout.

He let out a yawn and wrinkled his nose in disgust at how sweaty he smelled. Yeah, Eli would order after he'd taken a long, hot shower.

\-----

One shower and three slices of pepperoni pizza later, Eli lounged on the couch, typing up the rest of the Spanish essay Senor Uhl had assigned in class early that day. A Gun Robot movie played on the TV at a low volume as something to ease Eli's loneliness.

"And... done." He yawned again, finishing the last paragraph before turning it in to await his grade on Monday. Even on a Friday, Uhl just had to made sure that his students knew just how unforgiving he was, huh? Shutting his laptop, Eli sat up and stood, tucking his laptop under his arm and handling the pizza box and his empty plate with his free hand.

He had plugged in his laptop to charge in his room and just came back downstairs to put away the pizza when the door bell rang. He looked up sharply: he hadn't been expecting company.

Eli walked to the door cautiously and peeped out of the blinds. He withdrew, startled, and pulled open the door.

Sure enough, Steve was standing right on his door way, a duffle bag in his right arm and a smile on his face as he rubbed the back of his head. "Hey, Pepperjack! Sorry I missed training today. Can I come in?" He said this in all one breath and he actually looked tired, as if he'd run all the way here. Eli, still confused yet pleasantly surprised, stepped aside to let Steve enter the house before shutting the door behind him.

"It's fine. So, uh, I don't remember arranging any kind of sleepover, or maybe I did and forgot?" Eli said cautiously, watching Steve's face closely as he let out a nervous laugh.

"No, no, you're right! No sleepover was arranged! I just though that..." His voice faded and he looked down, putting his free hand on his hip. His lips were pursued and he had a nervous, almost scared, expression on his face. Something was wrong.

Eli placed a hand on his tense shoulder. "Did something happen?"

Steve took a deep breath. "Dad visited earlier, while I was at practice. He'd wanted some money from Mom, and of course that didn't sit well with her. They apparently had some nasty shouting match before he left. Things were actually shattered on the floor and Mom was really tense and moody when I came home. And she'd locked herself in her room and wouldn't come out. It was like he was still there, even though he left after the neighbor threatened to call the police on him. I just, I had to get out of there."

As he spoke, his shoulders drooped and the nervous energy he had when Eli first saw him faded away. He just looked sad and vulnerable now, two things you never saw on the face of Steve Palchuk. It was pitiful to watch and Eli felt a rush of anger towards Steve's jerk of a father, how he was busting into a house, a life, that wasn't his anymore, that he had given up when he divorced his wife and left his son, just to cause trouble. He wanted badly to give him a piece of his mind, but that would do nothing to help Steve at the moment. Instead, Eli turned Steve around to face him and reassured him. "You don't need to say anymore. It's ok for you to stay at my house for the night, I won't mind."

Steve smiled greatfully, looking relieved. "Thank you, Eli."

Eli grinned back at him, his chest feeling warm from the praise. "Anytime, Stevie." He grinned wider as Steve scoffed, dropping the duffle bag he was holding onto the floor.

"Hey, don't call me that, buttsnack!" He scolded, tugging Eli towards him and putting him into a headlock to aggressively ruffle his hair. Eli laughed as he struggled to get away. 

"Hey, go easy on me, I'm still sore from training earlier!"

"Oh, right."

Steve released him and picked up his bag, walking towards the kitchen with his head held high, sniffing the air. "Mmmmmm, is that pizza? Can I have some? I'm starving right now, didn't even have a chance to eat when I got home!!"

Eli rolled his eyes and followed after him, greatful that the mood from earlier was gone. "Yeah, yeah, just don't eat all of it you beast! I still have to leave some for Mom you know!"

Eli heard Steve call out a "thank you" as he rushed up the stairs to drop off his stuff in Eli's room. Eli went to the fridge and got out some soda cans for the two of them. Knowing how Steve always came prepared with the best, most scariest movies, tonight was definitely going to be an all-nighter. Eli closed the fridge door and looked at the note Mom had written on the whiteboard again. He felt grateful that for tonight, he'd be able to relax and have fun with his best friend rather than watch TV by himself again. Who knows what will happen to him in the future, or when he'll be able to be happy like this again?

Eli wanted to savor it while it lasted, knowing that with his occupation, it could end anytime.

**Author's Note:**

> I finished watching 3 Below Part 2 yesterday and I am Not OK. My emotions were such a mess that I just had to write something.
> 
> So, Trollhunter Eli anyone? I absolutely love Eli so obviously, I was going to write something about him. I might continue with this concept and make Trollhunter Eli a full au if anyone would be interested.


End file.
